GABE ROMERO / CONTRIBUTOR

After the regular season for University of San Diego tennis, both men’s and women’s programs collected a combined 15 all-conference honors from the West Coast Conference (WCC), showcasing the depth and dominance that had made Torero tennis one of the most exciting programs on campus.

On the men’s side, the Toreros claimed nine total all-conference awards, capping off what has been a third  straight season winning the WCC tournament championship, earning the number 15 seed heading into the NCAA tournament. Leading the charge was senior Oliver Tarvet, who   claimed  his  third  consecutive WCC Player of the Year award — only the third player in WCC men’s tennis history to accomplish the feat. Tarvet went 17-2 in singles on the season, including an 11-match winning streak to close out the regular season.

Joining Tarvet in the spotlight was Dutch USD first-year Manvydas Balciunas, who earned WCC Freshman of the Year, and finished with the most wins in singles play on the team at 13-4. This marks the second straight season — and fourth in the last five seasons — that a Torero has taken home the WCC freshman honor.

With so much talent on the court and the high rankings, many USD students such as USD sophomore Ryan Zook, enjoyed coming to watch the talented programs during their class breaks and weekends.

“There was never a dull moment seeing the USD Tennis team compete this year,” Zook said. “Being able to watch such a high  level of tennis right on campus is something  more people should  take advantage of. The team always  gets hyped with cheers before and  during the match which contributes to the atmosphere.”

That atmosphere was highlighted especially during doubles, with the San Diego men’s duos roaring and celebrating with the crowds on the way to earning two separate first-team duos as well as an honorable mention for their doubles tandems.

The women’s program added six more conference honors to the department’s total, led by USD junior Charlotte Keitel earning All-WCC Singles First Team in her first season as a Torero. USD sophomore Hannah Read, coming off a co-Freshman of the Year award last season, went 14-6 overall and 4-0 in conference, reaching a ranking as high as 51st nationally. First-years Vilma Krebs Hyllested and Maria Shmakova also earned individual recognition, with the first-year duo going 8-1 together in doubles and a perfect 4-0 in conference to earn All-WCC Doubles  Honorable Mention. Read and doubles partner sophomore  Anni Moll were named All-WCC Doubles Second Team.

USD first-year and tennis fan Connor Hughes remarked on how tennis is just as much a team sport as it is individual.

“Tennis honestly deserves more hype because people forget it’s not just an individual sport but a team experience too,” Hughes said. “Being part of a tennis team makes the sport way more fun, with everyone pushing each other and sharing the highs and lows together. It’s competitive but also really connected. And seeing USD tennis doing so well right now just shows how exciting and strong the program is. It’s the kind of energy that makes the sport really cool to follow.”

After the men’s tennis team beat conference rivals Pepperdine in the WCC tournament final 4-3 after a comeback from redshirt senior Stian Klaassen, USD will host the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. The Toreros look forward to hosting UCLA, Arizona State, and UC  Santa Barbara over the weekend, starting off playoff play against the Gauchos on Friday, May 1 at 1 p.m.  in  the San Diego Regional. 

The USD men’s tennis team will compete in the NCAA tournament after winning in the WCC. Photo courtesy of @usdtennis/Instagram